[H. L. Chauvin]

FWIW: True Story.

When our local Alumina plant was opening in the late 1950's, the plant manager summoned (5) of his graduate mechanical engineers to study, mechanically analyze, & recommend which brand of vacuum cleaner should be bought for about (10) vacuum cleaners which would be used to vacuum clean the red bauxite out of the carpet in the administration offices.

After (3) days, about 100 sheets of paper showing mechanical calculations, vacuum motor RPM's, mechanical advantage of drive belts, one (1) vacuum cleaner was rated no.1 & the less effective was rated no.7.

In an executive meeting with the board, the engineers spent an hour describing why no. 1 was the best.

Then the meeting room door accidently opened. The janitor said, "Oh, excuse me."

The plant manager told old Joe to come in to see which vacuum cleaner he thought was best.

Joe ran outside, picked up a half bucket full of red bauxite dust, spread it out in a line on the new carper, & proceeded to run each vacuum over this red line.

Then Joe remarked, "See .......... no. 7 is the bestess one out the bunch."

Quite naturally, I was told by old Joe that nobody smiled.